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Zen-Shin Academy Latest News Karate England
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A NEW STRUCTURE FOR KARATE IN ENGLAND 1. Introduction This paper builds on the notes* prepared for the special meeting of Karate England Associations on 18th February 2007 held in Coventry. At that meeting it was agreed that the previous arrangements for the governance and financing of the Governing Body had not worked for a number of reasons which were extensively discussed at the meeting. It was further agreed that a new start was needed for the Governing Body and the majority of the associations represented saw the importance of recognition by Sport England for the governing body of Karate. Karate in England has rarely enjoyed a stable political structure and it is important to identify the reasons for past failures if stability is to be achieved. All the governance systems in the past have presented problems with small Associations feeling controlled by larger Associations or vice versa. It is important that conflict is managed and eliminated by negotiation and a fair representation on the new Governing Body. There has also been a feeling by some Associations that Sport Karate is given too much attention, especially in financial terms, whilst others feel the reverse. In addition, there have been situations in the past where decisions on Technical matters were made against the wishes of Technical Seniors. For all the above reasons, a structure is being proposed which would ensure the representation of : a) all Associations from the largest to the smallest b) those who see Karate as a lifestyle and give equal emphasis to the three K's as well as those predominantly interested in sport c) the most senior Karateka across the major styles - and therefore serve to unite Karate. 2. Vision and Values It is important for the new Governing Body to embrace a vision for Karate in England which can be shared by all Associations. This vision could be developed and agreed prior to inauguration via a small working group and website feedback. Values are particularly important to Karate and underpin Dojo etiquette. Values such as respect, honesty, courtesy, humility and selflessness need to pervade the conduct of business by the new governing body. This would help to ensure that meetings will be conducted in a spirit of friendship and cooperation and be productive in moving Karate forward. 3. Purpose of the Governing Body The prime purpose of the governing body for Karate in England would be to increase participation in Karate and to help provide safeguards to practitioners and a central contact |
